Cardinals, Dodgers National League Best Bets for August 2

There are multiple games today beginning late this afternoon on the National League schedule, and there’s value to target in these spots. Below, you can find both games from the National League and some of our best bets on the FanDuel Sportsbook.Chicago Cubs (+146) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (-174) Total: 8.5 (O -104, U -118)

Historic rivals in the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs will begin a three-game series tonight from Busch Stadium. The Cards are coming off defeating the Washington Nationals in two-of-three games this weekend, while the Cubs lost three-of-four games to the San Francisco Giants. There’s a lot of buzz surrounding the Cardinals ahead of the trade deadline as buyers in an NL Central that is there for the taking. The Cubs also have intrigue surrounding them, with multiple pieces expected to be sold off their roster, including Willson Contreras. You can throw the records out when these two teams collide, meaning that although the Cards are far ahead of the Cubs, these meetings are still challenging to predict. 

The opening pitching matchup should be a good one, with two pitchers that have found success through four months of the regular season. Long-time high-end starter Adam Wainwright of the Cards is expected to go head-to-head with Keegan Thompson of the Cubs. Wainwright has a 7-8 record with a 3.28 ERA and 99 strikeouts, while Thompson is 8-4 with a 3.16 ERA and 82 punchouts. Both teams have found some success against the opposing starters, but it’s hard to discount what Wainwright has been able to do at home. Wainwright has been significantly better when toeing the rubber from Busch Stadium this season, owning a 3-3 record with a 2.01 ERA in nine starts. That should give the Cards an edge, and there’s no doubt they need to win games like this down the stretch. 

St. Louis has been a good home team with a 29-20 record, which should play to their advantage in this opener. With Wainwright still chugging along and being effective at home, there’s value with the Red Birds on the run line, which presents plus-money at +118. 

Best Bet: Cardinals run line (+118) 

Like the Cards and Cubs, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants rivalry goes way back and will continue in this four-game series. The Dodgers opened the series last night with an 8-2 victory and have a 7-3 record over their past ten games, compared to the Giants, who are 3-7 over that same stretch. After a year where they exceeded expectations, the Giants have come crashing down to earth and could sell off some assets ahead of the trade deadline. For two teams that were neck-and-neck for most of last season, that hasn’t been the case this year. The Dodgers have continued to be one of the biggest World Series favorites, while the Giants are a lot more flawed than they appeared last season. 

The pitching matchup should be a quality one, with the Dodgers sending one of their top arms to the bump. Tyler Anderson is expected to face off with left-hander Alex Wood of the Giants, and both sides are familiar with the opposing starter. Anderson has posted a stunning 11-1 record with a 2.61 ERA and 91 strikeouts, while Wood is 7-8 with a 4.11 ERA and 99 strikeouts. Anderson doesn’t show much difference between his home and road splits, while Wood has slightly better home numbers. The Dodgers have fared well against the lefty, which could spell more trouble for the Giants tonight as they continue to struggle in the second half. 

With how things are trending, it’s hard to have much faith in the Giants’ moneyline. The Dodgers are decent-sized favorites on the moneyline, but it’s still a price that warrants consideration. After a big victory last night, the price to target here is likely on the run line, where the Dodgers are sitting in plus-money value at +116. 

Best Bet: Dodgers run line (+116)